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Holidays

Walk to Freedom across the Pyrenees

France, Spain
4 reviews
Walk & Trek
Guided Group
CHALLENGING CHALLENGING

Trek the Chemin de la Liberte the WWII escape route to Spain

Trip Code: WTF
Holiday Grades
          

Our Holiday Grades Explained

To show the relative difficulty of our holidays, each trip is graded on a scale of 1 to 12, with 12 being the most challenging. Although we have tried to make our grading system as clear as possible, it cannot take into account your personal interests, abilities or experience. If you have any questions about the nature of a particular trip or its suitability for you, please read the 'Is this holiday for you?' section or contact us.

 1 - 3 LEISURELY
1 - 3 LEISURELY

Suitable for most people in good health, holidays at this grade include only limited amounts of activity.

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4 - 6 MODERATE
4 - 6 MODERATE

Suitable for reasonably fit individuals, such as weekend walkers and cyclists. There can be the occasional more difficult day.

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7 - 9 CHALLENGING
7 - 9 CHALLENGING

Physically challenging holidays, where you need to be prepared before you go.

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10 - 12 TOUGH
10 - 12 TOUGH

Our toughest holidays, involving many long days, often in isolated areas. A high level of fitness and previous wilderness and mountain experience is essential.

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Walk to Freedom across the Pyrenees

Highlights
  • Hike from France to Spain on this historic trail
  • A short and challenging 4 day trekking holiday in the Pyrenees
  • Some of the best mountain views in the Pyrenees
  • Free day in the French beautiful spa town of Luchon

At a Glance
  • Group Size 5 to 10
  • 4 days trekking
  • Max. altitude - 2522 metres
  • Join In Toulouse

Accommodation & Meals
  • 6 Breakfasts
  • 3 Lunches
  • 4 Dinners
  • 3 nights Hotel
  • 1 nights Gite / Hostel
  • 2 nights Mountain Hut / Refuge
Overview

The ‘Chemin de la Liberte' was the toughest of several escape routes across the Pyrenees during the Second World War; you can follow in the footsteps of history, from France to Spain, on this wonderful week long trekking holiday. Running from Saint-Girons in the Ariege district of France to near the village of Isil in Spain, the Chemin de la Liberte, or Walk to Freedom, has been an official way-marked walk since 1994 and can be completed as an excellent and challenging 4-day hike. After our first night in a comfortable chateau in Saint-Girons, once the German border forces HQ, our journey begins. Starting out the forested foothills of the Pyrenees we climb to cross the high mountains of the Ariege via the Refuge des Estagnous (2245m) and the Frontier Col (2522m). En route, we will pass safe houses and barns used as hiding places by the escapees and encounter rocky cirques, mountain lakes, boulder-fields and possibly snow-filled gullies, whilst marvelling at some of the finest mountain views in the Pyrenees.  Our journey's end is at an excellent tapas bar in Val d'Aran, where we can celebrate the end of our 'walk to freedom'. Finally, we drive back across the border into France and end our adventure with a two night stay and a free day in the charming spa town of Luchon.

Is this holiday for you?

This trekking holiday is a traverse from France into Spain over the Pyrenees. We stay in a mix of chateau, rural gite, mountain refuge and we have one night either wild camping or in a basic shepherd's shelter or cabane. We will also have to carry all the belongings we need for 2.5days including a light sleeping bag, sleeping mat, a small stove, your own pack lunches and a share of 1 nights f …

This trekking holiday is a traverse from France into Spain over the Pyrenees. We stay in a mix of chateau, rural gite, mountain refuge and we have one night either wild camping or in a basic shepherd's shelter or cabane. We will also have to carry all the belongings we need for 2.5days including a light sleeping bag, sleeping mat, a small stove, your own pack lunches and a share of 1 nights food provisions. The trek involves walking on a waymarked trail over variety of terrain including forest paths, Alpine meadows and over rocky passes. The trails used for the most part offer good underfoot conditions but there are several off piste sections where we will cross boulders and others where we may encounter patches of winter snow. A few places along the route involve some easy scrambling with some exposure. We average around 7 to 9 hours walking each day with typically approx 700 metres of ascent and / or descent on most days.

Why KE?

Hiking through history!  During WWII around 800 allied airmen and Jewish refugees took the `Walk to Freedom` from Nazi occupied Europe.  Follow in their footsteps of their journey, from France to Spain, across the spectacular Pyrenees.

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